This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cleaning and conditioning fabrics, e.g. felts and wires on a papermaking machine.
Wires and felts employed on papermaking machines often operate under conditions which result in such fabrics continuously accumulating foreign matter such as clays and other residues associated with the papermaking process. This situation becomes even more aggravated when recycled paper is used as a fiber source. Such accumulations, if not removed, create severe operational problems and inefficiencies.
While fabric cleaners are known, such prior art systems have been found ineffective to remove the more tenacious contaminants, in particular those contaminants resulting from recycled fiber stock.
The present invention has been found to be more highly effective in the removal of contaminants from fabrics than conventional prior art approaches. In addition, the present invention has proved very useful in the conditioning of fabrics such as felts by raising the nap thereof to increase efficiency of operation.